A week ago Sunday I preached a message to the kids titled, “Does God Really Hear Me?” It’s one of a series of messages I am preaching on MythBusters (soon to be released on KidzMatter.com).
After praying about what to do yesterday with the kids, I really felt the Lord’s leading to take a break from preaching and show a video. I hate showing videos in kids church. I feel like kids watch TV all week and when they come to church they need something else. However, I understand that it’s a digital age and videos can help achieve variety. I went to the resource room and pulled down a Gospel Bill video called “Does God Answer Prayer?”.
I remember watching “Gospel Bill” on Saturday mornings when I was a kid. It was a great kid’s show that taught kids about salvation and making good choices. It was filmed and aired back in the 1980s and starred Willie George as Gospel Bill. Little did I know when I was a kid that one of the stars of the show (Lefty Wright) would become one of my best friends. Do you know who played Lefty the barber? Jim Wideman, an author on this blog.
Whenever I show an old “Gospel Bill” video in my kids church, the kids are captivated. Sunday when I was watching the video with the kids (and eating store-bought cookies) I thought to myself, “We need another Gospel Bill show!”
If someone out there with an interest in film would develop a good business plan for a “Gospel Bill” type show, and if you did it right, I know you would be successful. Children’s pastors would buy the videos up.
Don’t run to the bookstore and try to find the “Gospel Bill” show. They’re hard to find. I have yet to find a website that distributes them. TBN has stopped airing the show. Jim Wideman tells me that you can order them from Willie George Ministries. Click here to go to their website. You can order most of the episodes by phone, they just aren’t listed on their website.
Amen to that!!! Youth need another Fire by Night type show as well…But at least the youth have the various music video shows. Kids have nothing…zip…nada…
I remember about 2 years ago I came in and my daughter was glued to the set watching sponge bob or something else on nick or disney and said it’s Saturday flip it to TBN and let’s watch some Christian TV. I couldn’t believe that it was so outdated that even the commercials were the same ones I saw 15 years ago when I got saved.
Gospel Bill may be old (no offense Pastor Willie) but they are not outdated to kids 5-10 or maybe even 11. Maybe because it’s themed to be older than it was in reality so that age makes it better like wine or something.
Oh my goodnes! I was just telling a friend about “Fire By Night” and the “Gospel Bill Show”. I too remember watching it on Saturday mornings with my kid brothers and sister. It was as AWESOME ok, a LITTLE silly but appealing to 6 and 7 yr olds. Good Christian fun for kids with powerful Gospel message. PLEASE more Gospel Bill! And “Fire By Night”, I just can’t tell you how that affected my teen years! I miss, I really do. THANK YOU for the link to Willie George Min. 1000x’s over!!!